Avian meets Feline
by Axla
Summary: The flock has been sent to Seattle to deal with a conspiring group of mutants-only they don't realize that they must destroy them before they can get back home. Rated T for Foul Language and Violence.
1. Prologue

Prologue

After saving the world from the creepy robot brain and his disfigured henchman, we decided to break for a while, and visit my mom and Ella. The flock was all for it; well, besides Fang who stayed silent. I thought it would be like Hawaii-my family, warmth in the summer sun, and all the chocolate-chip cookies I could store in my endless stomach.

But it appears that Itex still wanted me to clean up their now-finished business.

Jeb had arrived three days after our vacation at Mom's and said that we needed to get to Washington and fast. Flyboys were raising havoc in the emerald city.

"Yay!" Angel clapped her hands together and bounced on her feet, her Shirley Temple curls jumping on her shoulders. "Back to the President!"

"Not Exactly," I began to correct her, because there was no way we were ever going back to the white house until I am well out of my cookie rehab.

"Washington State, Angel." Fang muttered as he moved from where he leaned against the living room wall. "The Evergreen State. Full of Rain. Just the way we like it." We all seemed to grimace, but Jeb ignored it and continued.

"Not just the mechanical erasers though, Maximum," Jeb meshed his fingers together. "There are experiments there that are…conspiring over a lost cause." This caught my attention. And Fang's. The rest of the flock…not so much.

"What do you mean 'experiments'" Fang questioned, straightening himself without unfolding his arms. "You mean there are still more of us out there that haven't expired yet?" There was acid in his tone; a threat to most. That bothered Jeb, I could feel the hairs on my arms prick.

"Yes, you weren't the first who escaped. There are many others out there." Jeb didn't seem phased at all by Fang's question. "The fact that you were transfused while in the womb means you are…unique, meaning you do not have an expiration date." I saw Fang relax slightly, and we caught each other's gaze quickly before looking back at Jeb.

"What are we supposed to do?" Angel asked, sitting down and hugging Total, who had succumbed to her gentle hands.

"You are to find them," Jeb stated. I knew there was more.

"And?"

"And you are going to turn them in or kill them."

We were all silent, even Mom, who had stopped busying herself by getting ready to go to the vet's office. Ella was still at school. Even Gazzy froze from his intricate bomb and looked at Jeb. It was Iggy who broke the silence.

"No." He stated clearly and stood up and walked across the room with eerie, precise movements.

"It's an order." Jeb answered; the authority back in his voice as he glared at my blind comrade. "An Ultimatum if you so well wish."

"Look Ig, we can do it without causing them pain," I was surprised to hear Fang speak. He wasn't one to agree with Jeb.

"No." Iggy turned and leaned against the table next to my Mom. "I may be a mutant freak; I may be named some retarded name in Virginia or whatever. But I know I'm not one thing. I know I'm not a killer."

I wish I could've been the same, but unfortunately, I've had multiple encounters that required death and destruction; even though one of my victims returned.

"Isn't there any other option?" I asked, trying to lower the hostility level that had boosted to maximum once Iggy had refused. "Like, can't we just find and say 'Hey, we killed Itex and saved the world. Schools have been shut down forever and we can live happily ever after, blah, blah, blah'?" I was standing now, with Nudge at my shoulder. She was shockingly silent during all this.

"No. Unless you can teach them to commit suicide, they will die one way or another." Jeb got up and brushed a freckled feather off his worn leather jacket. "I suggest you leave tomorrow. Get them, kill them. If you succeed, I'll take care of the Flyboys." He patted my shoulder –the only option I gave him- and let himself out.

"Max," Mom looked strained, worried. I knew what was on her mind-losing me and the flock again.

"We'll leave tomorrow morning." I said, ignoring my mother, and living with the heartache. "Let's get some sleep."

I ignored my mom and walked straight into my room, and shut the door. The plain room now smelled like flowers and it had my freckled feathers scattered around it. I stretched my wings until they brushed the sea-foam green walls of my room. I sighed and folded them back in. Someday, I'll be able to wear them when I go outside and nobody will care.

I threw myself on my bed and pressed my fluffy pillow to my chest. My chest was being pulled by an unknown force, and I knew I really didn't want to kill people like us. It was inhumane. But I also didn't want to face a ton of Flyboys either.

I knew my peace wouldn't last when the door clicked open and Fang walked into my room.

"Hey." I mumbled, blinking as he flicked the switch and light spilled across my room.

"Are you sure this is the right choice?" He asked. His large hands were in his pockets and his dark eyes were fixed on me. I was blank, because I didn't know.

"I…I don't know. I think we have to do this. It will solve some of our problems. Gazzy and Angel are already going crazy from the tight spaces here."

Fang nodded and came over to me. He reached out with one hand and brushed back my blonde hair so that my cheek and eye were visible. He bent down and kissed my temple, then retreated towards the door.

"I believe you, Max." He spoke quietly. He opened the door and had his hand on the light switch when he turned around. "Get some sleep. I got first watch." He turned off the light and disappeared behind a closed door.


	2. 1

1

We left early in the morning, when the morning mist was still sleeping in the forest.

With hasty goodbyes, we beat out wings and took flight North-West.

With Fang leading us, Nudge guiding Iggy who was holding Total closely in his arms, and Angel and the Gasman only a wingspan apart. I took to rear, watching the flock ahead of me. With all we've gone through, I'd have to say I'd rather be Atlas, the roman titan, and holding the world on my shoulders. Killing the White-coats was one thing. Killing mutants like us, rebellious ones like us, that was a whole other story.

Conversation was sparse, besides the random jokes from Jeff Foxworthy that Gazzy had seen on the television the past weekends.

The foggy blanket covered most of the earth for the morning, which gave us a reason to fly lower than usual, having the warmer air race through our feathers.

Around Noon, or so I presumed, we lost our cover, and had to go higher.

That lasted about an hour, and then we heard Total snap, "Incoming!"

I looked behind us to see about three Flyboys. Boy, they didn't look happy either. They had improvements.

Their usual metal bodies were darker, blacker, and from their mouths were silver fangs. They didn't have wings anymore, they had rockets implanted in their feet.

"Looks like someone took time to add personal touches." I shouted toward them, and I looked at Fang and nodded. "Gazzy, Angel, Iggy, Nudge, keep going North. We'll catch up later!"

The flock nodded, and Fang and I shifted our wings and went into and fighting stance. As I felt the gust of wind push me back, I turned to see Fang coming toward the flyboys like a missile; one of his arms pulled back and ready to release a punch.

I followed, angling myself so I could speed past them with agile movements. I grabbed two Flyboys ankles and tried to pull them with me, but felt heavy weights pull keep me with them. "Dammit." I spat as I beat my wings harder, trying to pull the two Flyboys with me. After a short struggle, I looked and saw to my surprise, a switch on their boot-like feet. I let go of one snarling Flyboy's ankle and reached for the switch, and clicked it to the OFF side. The rocket shoes stopped spitting helium, and I felt a sudden urge to kick the shit out of it. I pulled my knee to my chest-while falling like a rock- and let my boot meet hard contact with one of the rockets. The now-dented metal gave easily with two swift kicks, and I felt my wings spread to catch a breeze. As I let the Flyboy drop, another weight hit me hard on the back, and hard teeth puncture the tissues of my shoulder. I could hear myself yell in shock and pain, and looked to see Fang with a hammer-who knows where he got it- and swinging hard short shots to one of the Flyboys feet. His eyes widened when he saw me, and I felt my shirt grow wet from the puncture.

The flyboy on top of me had an iron grip, like an enraged pit bull. I tried to punch it's face, but only felt the skin break around my knuckles as my fist met it's hard iron face. "Bastard!" I breathed, looking down at the ground rushing up at me.

And then, the pain was gone, and I looked again to see that the Flyboy had been beaten off of me by Fang with his hammer. Many of it's metal knife-like teeth were broken, and I saw many of them still sunk into my shoulder. I groaned and watched the last of the three Flyboys fall towards the ground.

My shirt was turning a sickening red and my eyes wanted to close. It hurt to beat my wings, the teeth were still lodged in my shoulder tissue.

Last thing I felt was strong arms catch me in my fall, wrapping around my waist and bringing me up higher, toward the white sky.


	3. 2

2

When I opened my eyes, we were in a forest. I knew that because there was a canopy of tree branches overhead, hiding a grey sky.

Song birds sang from branches above me and I wish I could've listened to them all day, but worry clouded my mind as I thought of the Flock. I rolled to me left, and quickly went onto my back again. My shoulder hurt…horribly, and I winced as pain shot through my arm and around my shoulder. I looked over to look at it, and saw the rips in my long-sleeve shirt –which was white, it had to be white- and then the maroon stain of blood that covered most of the left side of my body. Wonderful. I sighed and turned to me right, to see a dark figure sitting next to me. Dark eyes met mine, and I instantly felt a small flutter in my chest.

"You're up, finally." He muttered, and looked back to my shoulder.

"Where's the others?" I grumbled, sitting straight up and cradling my arm, which didn't help my shoulder much.

"About a hundred feet to the North. They're waiting for us." He got to his feet and held out his hand. "Need some help, cripple?" He flashed a smile.

"Yes, I do," I mumbled and smiled back, taking his hand with my good one. When we were both on our feet, I tried to spread my wings, only grimacing at the web of pain that shot through my left side. Then I understood why Fang had called me a cripple. "I can't fly." I frowned. This would lengthen our travels. I'd have to be carried, or we would have to walk/hijack a car again.

"Nope." Fang headed toward where he said the rest of the Flock were, and I followed behind him. I was irritated, mad that I couldn't fly. The scabs that had formed over my wounds had opened, and I could feel the warm liquid run down my back and dampen my shirt again.

"Fang?"

"Yes, Max?"

"How long was I out?" It had never occurred to me that I could've held us back for days. I had been known to pass out and faint often.

"About an hour or two." Phew. That was better than what I had anticipated.

We walked for what seemed like miles, mainly because I felt the ooze of blood keep going. But sure enough, we found the rest of the flock. Nudge was the first to pipe up.

"Holy Tube-Socks! You look horrible Max! What happened?! Did you beat the crap out of the Flyboys? What did you do?"

"Nudge," Fang muttered, glaring at her. "Shut up." Nudge listened. Fang was close to me still. So close that I could smell him. He had an earthy scent, mixed with the scent of mint. It made me awkwardly attracted to him and he glanced at me when he heard me taking in deep breaths through my nose.

"We found tracks, human ones that turn into cat ones." Angel murmured, running and hugging me before pointing down.

Sure enough, there were the tracks. They were human until about three paces to the north, and then they transferred into large paws and turned west.

"Where are we?" I asked, embracing Angel momentarily.

"Camano Island. We passed Seattle a while ago." Iggy muttered, drawing blueprints into the muddy earth.

"See, Man?" Gazzy smacked Iggy's arm. "I told you we passed the Space Needle! I told you so!" Iggy nodded and pushed Gazzy into a mud puddle.

"Hey." I muttered, and looked up. Dusk was setting in, and rain drops were started to fall from the threatening clouds. "Follow the prints." Angel and Nudge were the first to get up and follow them, Total hard on their heels, and Iggy and Gazzy bantered while following them. Which left Fang and I. We looked at each other and nodded, and I took a step forward, only to slip on the slick mud.

I prepared myself to fall flat on my back and feel the surge of pain through my left side, but a quick flash and Fang's hands were on my hips, steadying me.

We paused there, looking at each other. I felt heat rush to my cheeks, and he took two paces away from me.

He cleared his throat. "Clumsy." He muttered and continued walking.

What was flattered in me suddenly became agitated, and I stomped after him.

The flock followed the prints until they led into a clearing, where the earth was dry and we all just stood there, confused.

"Well, that was successful," Fang remarked. But then out of the blue, a loud growl sounded from behind us. We all spun to see a cougar, and I instantly felt my hands clench into fists.

The panther was crouched in a hunter's crouch, and it's tail was swishing from side to side.

Angel walked forward until she was about three feet away, looking straight into the cat's eyes. This action scared me half to death, and as I reached out to grab her, Fang grasped my wrist and mouthed wait. I didn't want to. My baby was in front of a predator that can rip her to shreds.

Then Angel spread her wings wide, and she brushed her blonde curls out of her face.

"We're like you," She smiled, and the panther relaxed. It looked from Angel to the others.

"What about the others? Are they all like you?" It spoke. Spoke English. I wondered if it was fluent in any other dialects as well. This creature scared me, I didn't want to trust it. But I did, because it's blue eyes were so warm compared to their cold color.

"They are the same." Angel nodded. "My name is Angel. This is the Gasman, he's my brother. That's Iggy, he's blind. That's Nudge, she's a talkative one. That's Fang, he's the definition of sarcasm," She pointed to each person as she introduced them. "And that's Max, she's the leader and practically our Mom." My heart warmed as she said that, and I just wanted to hug her. "Who are you?"

The creature turned and then closed her eyes. Something happened between blinks that she morphed into a human.

She had short, dark blonde hair with dyed black strips. Her body was curved and she was tall. She wore short white shorts and a blue t-shirt. Her face was very angular, and her eyes were still cat-like, with slits as pupils. The most amazing thing about her though, was the black cat ears and tail that flicked as she looked at each of our expressions.

"My name is Kailyn. I am part feline."


	4. 3

3

My jaw dropped like lead in water. Fang's eyes (Or eye to saw the truth) was wide. Iggy stood motionless, unaware of the creature in front of us. Nudge was about the same as me, and Gazzy just looked confused.

"Kailyn," Angel let the word play on her tongue. "Nice to meet you." She held out her hand, and Kailyn looked at it. She was hesitant, but she shook Angel's hand.

Then everything seemed to relax, and the creature smiled.

"It's nice to meet all of you. I suppose you are all like Angel?" Her voice had a sudden authority in it that it surprised me and most of the others. Nudge answered on our behalf.

"Yeah," Nudge said. "We all have wings. Except we have other powers too; like Angel can read your mind, manipulate you, and breathe underwater. Iggy can see in the dark. Gasman has killer gas and can make any voice he wants. Max can fly super fast and she has a wicked sense of smell. I like, talk to technology and can hack computers and stuff. We all have keen eyesight too. It's really cool." She stopped herself, but I knew she was hiding at least ten more things.

"He has no…abilities?" She nodded to Fang, and I saw a familiar spark in his eyes. Jealousy burned my throat raw.

"Well….He hasn't found them out yet. He's the late developer." Iggy sniggered at Nudges last comment.

"Yeah, he has yet to fully mature." The guys laughed, while Fang punched Iggy's arm. Fang's cheeks burned red. The flame in my throat grew hotter.

"I see the blind one has a sense of humor," Kailyn's eyes moved to Iggy, and she smirked, showing pointed teeth. "You seem like the misfit here."

Ouch. That stung Iggy.

"You have no right to say that," I spoke for Iggy, but I felt his hand rest on my good shoulder.

"Leave it, Max," Iggy spoke. He picked his way up to Kailyn. She was tall, but about a head shorter than Iggy. He reached up and pressed a large hand to her head, feeling her soft ears. They flicked. She glared up with him. "Well, at least I'm not the one who looks like an Anime character."

He turned on his heel and walked back to where he was standing before; hands in his coat pockets.

Kailyn's ears flicked back and she turned to me. Her face brightened then seemed to darken, but her ears stayed pricked.

"You need medical attention. I could smell you from a hundred yards away. That's what drew me here." She paused and looked at the Flock. "Do you guys need a place to stay? I have a house not too far from here."

House. Warmth. All of it sounded wonderful, but could I trust her? Insulting Iggy and blazing my fire? No. No, no, no way. I'll bleed and have bears follow me, but her, hell no.

"Yeah," Iggy spoke, looking where I stood, as if he knew what I was thinking. "We need a place to stay. As so long as you don't poison us or turn us into anime freaks."

Kailyn laughed as Iggy walked over to her.

"I'll be on my best behavior and break out my waitress outfit." She placed a spread hand on his chest as he tried to pass her. "Wrong way, Blind one." Her eyes became distant, her ears growing larger. Her eyes glazed and closed, and her body started to curl into what I thought was the fetal position. In another blink there was a large black panther standing before us, her tail lashing, hitting Iggy's pant leg each swing. "Follow me."

We did and Iggy was the first one to follow her. He was following her touch, I could tell. Every other pace she touched his hand with her tail-tip, and he seemed to try and grasp it.

Angel was at my side, hand in mine. She was so happy-go-lucky that I didn't want to worry. She looked and me and smiled.

"Don't worry, Max. She has a big Mansion!" Oh yeah. Angel could read Kailyn's mind.

Still, something about this feline-enhanced girl bothered me. She never said if she had powers like us, or what else she could do. Obviously, she could change into multiple cats by her going from cougar to human to leopard. She seemed sketchy, like she was hiding something from me.

I would find out what it was; oh yes, that was for sure. But not yet. I had other things to do just yet.

"I hope you don't mind having your own rooms. Just stay off the top floor and the basement. You will face…unfair consequences if you do so set a footstep there." She led us into an open field, where a large mansion-like house steamed from its chimneys.

This place was like a dream. Trees encircled the house and lined the drive, but besides the bunches of trees, it was all open field. Wild wheat and grasses grew tall for acres it seemed. A large river ran down to the right, a beautiful orchard to the left.

The house was made of a red brick with white trim. The glass windows bleed a warm yellow light onto the surrounding area. A large wood barn sat a many yards away, where the smell of hay and animals reached us.

The leaves on the trees were rich oranges and yellows, and most of the trees were bare with the November chill.

Obviously, Kailyn lived the life of luxury.

Kailyn smiled and looked to the sky, which had now turned a dark indigo.

"Can you see it?" She spoke to Iggy, and he nodded.

"Do you live alone?" He replied.

"Yes. But I have company with me. Nomadic mutants like us, though no one seeks the desire to stay." Nomadic Mutants? That made me curious as to see what her house was like on the inside.

We walked up the dirt drive and she stopped at the three stairs to the door.

"When we go in, if there are any others in there, you are to walk straight up the stairs and find your rooms. Go to the second floor, and there are seven rooms and two baths. Be courteous and wait until I come up there before you gallivant down my stairs." Something in her voice was nervous, and that made all my nerves click on like a live wire.

I pushed the youngest in front of me and kept Fang by my side. I hated this place; I already knew so when Kailyn said stay away from two floors.

Kailyn had changed back into her human form, and she –surprisingly- had her hand in Iggy's. She pushed open the door and let light flood out and make us glow in the dark.

The inside was more beautiful than the outside.

The entry room was all stairs. Black wooden ones, the curved up and disappeared behind a white wall. In fact, everything was white except the stairs, and nothing hung on the panel walls.

To my right was a living room, with a large fireplace. In it roared flames and it sent warmth out onto us. In the red couches and chairs were men, dressed in suits and they each stared into the fire with the same hesitant intensity.

One of them flicked his gaze and met mine, and my eyes narrowed. Kailyn was pushing the Flock up the stairs as if worried, and I could see why. This man's gaze sent chills up my spine, but I was frozen. That is, until Kailyn grabbed my arm and pulled me out of sight.

"Get upstairs and pick rooms." She said hurriedly, and pushed me up three steps. "Go." She turned quickly and disappeared into the room where the men had sat. She was talking to them in a pleasant voice, but it was muffled.

"Max, come on," Nudge signaled with her hand and followed Gazzy up the stairs.

On the first landing, there was a long hallway with black doors. There must have been about ten doors, but each of them was closed. On the walls hung portraits, mostly of black and white paintings of war scenes and wildflowers, maybe the African Savannah.

The second level was much more settling. The doors were white, and there were eight of them, like Kailyn said. On the walls were paintings of cats and houses, and one was of a feline creature looking up at a bird. I didn't get a good look at it, because I was being dragged along with the Flock.

Each one of us had a room within minutes. I got last choice. It was the last door, and it opened silently onto white carpet.

The inside was a sky blue. White feathers were intricately painted falling through the air. Above the large, curtained window, were two doves. They held a long banner, with the name Emelie written in cursive. Emelie? Who was she?

The bed was queen-sized, with a white barred headboard and a small blue chest at the bottom. The sheets were white, the blankets were blue, and the comforter was white and felt stuffed of feathers. It called to me, longed to make me sleep for eternity. I turned away from the bed and saw a white dresser. It had circular knobs, on each drawer. There were three long ones stacked on top of each other, then one final row which had three more small drawers. On the dresser was stuffed animals, mainly creatures from the cat family. There were one or two dogs on there, which reminded me of Total, still loyally tied to Angel. He had been silent for once, probably because he was in the enemy's lair.

Next to the dresser was a book shelf. It was white, and it had books of all sizes. Here was the thesaurus. There were the Narnia books next to the seven volumes of Harry Potter.

On the wall opposite the bed, as I turned, noticed only one thing besides the closet door. A vanity, painted white.

Powders, hair brushes and jewelry were scattered on the flat surface. There was one thing that stood out to me, a music box. I have heard many stories about music boxes and what they held, so I kept my hands to myself.

I looked in the mirror and took myself in. I looked dreadful. I had dark circles under my bruised eyes. I had blood stains forever in my grey shirt. My jeans were soiled and muddy. My hair was matted with blood, dirt, and leaves.

Then behind me…was a cat.

It was sitting on the bed, watching me. It had big green eyes and dark ginger fur with white paws. It was the fluffy sort of cat. But the fact that it was watching me so intently, sitting on its haunches with her tail covering her paws. It made me want to shudder.

When I turned to see if it was still there on my bed, you know, out of the mirror, it was gone. There wasn't even a crease in the bedding. I looked quickly back in the mirror to see the reflection. No cat.

Something very strange was going on here, and I was going to find out what.


	5. 4

4

Kailyn came into my room not twenty minutes after my encounter with the ginger cat. She looked stressed and tired, but still pleasant to be around.

I still didn't trust her. The fact that her house gave me the creeps and her weird behavior threw it to me. And she was flirting with Iggy AND Fang. She's a pedophile. Worse, she'd kill us if we probably didn't obey her demands. What are those called?

Serial Killers. And I'm not talking about a nice box of Cheerios.

She came in with different clothes. She wore tight jeans and a blue tank, and her mess of blond hair was in a messy bun resting on her neck. In her hands was a kit with a big red plus sign on it, in her other were folded clothing. I suppressed a huge sigh of relief.

"I thought you could use some fixing up," She smiled, showing pointed canines and rather small teeth. But they still made her pretty, and that made me jealous.

I mean, I was pretty too when I wasn't kicking someone's ass or full of blood and dirt.

I nodded and looked at her.

"I can fix up your shoulder on the bed if you'd like…" There was uncertainty, like her authority from outside had vanished.

"Okay, um, do I need to take off anything?" I thought it'd be really awkward, and it was already, but I needed to know.

"Just your shirt. I'll lock the door so no boys barge in." She giggled and I saw her cheeks go pink. "That wouldn't be very nice of them."

I released a giggle myself, and nodded, keeping the smile on my face as I uncomfortably peeled off my grey shirt.

I wear a bra, but…just showing everything makes me feel a bit awkward.

I went and sat criss-cross on the bed and she sat on her knees behind me, opening her first aid kit and taking out a brown bottle and various cottonballs. I guessed it was some antibiotic, because I'd seen mom use the brown bottle for some animals with bad cuts and when Gazzy hit the gutter on take-off, ha.

"Do you get a lot of people like us?" I asked. I hate small talk, but it would reduce the amount of awkwardness to me being in my bra.

"Not really your kind, I mean, avian-hybrids." She dabbed a wet cotton ball to my wound, and I heard it fizz and felt it sting. I grimaced, but remained silent as she dabbed another. "You are the youngest I've had alone. I usually get families…A months ago I had a family here. The wife was part…" She paused as she searched the kit for something and came up with a needle and thread. Uh-oh. "Seal, the husband was shark, and their son was one feisty little gill." She chuckled and worked on my wounds. It stung, but only a moment, because she worked so fast it was amazing. She patted my good shoulder. "Take a hot shower. You need it."

"What kind of mutant are you?" I asked. Her hands stopped putting items back in her kit.

"I am feline and some other kind that isn't known to others yet." She quickly got off the bed and looked at the vanity. I followed her gaze, and could tell she was looking at something I clearly couldn't see. She was grim again, but her face softened as she blinked. "I will tell more at dinner. It's at six-thirty in the dining room. You should take a shower. Feel free to holler if you need me."

She walked out of the room, leaving the clean clothes behind. I looked through the clothes and couldn't help but laugh at the thought of glee.

A clean, practically new t-shirt with a nice pair of jeans; ah it was heaven.

I looked out the door and saw the coast was clear. I covered my chest with my arms and ran to a door that Nudge had previously yelled was the bathroom. I opened it and found it empty and quickly closed the door behind me.

The bathroom was, not to exaggerate, huge. There was a big glass walk-in shower in the corner, and a big Jacuzzi tub next to it. There were lights above a large mirror and two bowl-like sinks, and a white, clean toilet.

Oh the tub looked so tempting, but I just ran hot water in the shower.

After multiple lathering and rinsing and repeating, I wrapped myself in a towel and started to brush my hair.

It was tangled and it took a while, but I wasn't bothered. I was happy about that. When I held up the clothes I noticed something right away.

In the plain blue t-shirt, there were long gashes for wings. I sighed and smiled. How thoughtful. I pulled on the new clothes and felt them hug my body with warmth.

It felt nice to wear clean clothes again. Sure it was just this morning that I showered and said good-bye to Mom, but still. Being in blood-soaked clothes isn't really fun.

After I returned to my bedroom, while in the hallway I could smell the sweet scent of garlic and maybe a few other herbs that made my mouth water. That reminded me that I hadn't eaten all day, and my bag of chocolate chip cookies was now somewhere along the forest floor. I suddenly felt a little twinge of pity; my cookies were so good…so lost now.

When I entered my room I peeled down the sleeve of my t-shirt to take a look at the damage in the vanity mirror. And maybe, just maybe, catch another glimpse of the invisible cat. When I inspected the wound, I couldn't help but gasp.

The wound, stitches and dried blood was gone…vanished, only smooth skin reflected in the mirror.

Now, the flock and I normally have high metabolism and we heal in hours. But minutes? No. This was the work of something powerful….

Then my mind clicked and I looked around. Kailyn…Kailyn did something to me…

I couldn't help but feel rage, I was thankful that I didn't have to endure the healing time, but still…it was done to me without my knowing.

I touched my fingers to my wound again before I pulled up my sleeve. This bewildered me…

I turned to the digital clock on the bedside table and realized that it was only six. Still half an hour left until dinner. I sighed…wondering if my growling stomach would ever settle.

I opened the door and walked out in the hallway. The doors were all shut, but light seeped into the dark hall from beneath each door. I walked to the nearest one where I had previously seen Angel slide into.

I knocked. Privacy pays off. A small voice answered and I walked in. When I saw Angel and her room, I couldn't help but let my jaw drop.

Angel's room had probably once been a child's room, because against the Caribbean Blue walls were mountains and mountains of stuffed animals. A dollhouse the size of me was pushed in the corner and ornately designed dolls lived their plastic lives inside. The carpet was a plush white that made my feet sink at least six inches. The bed was small, a twin size you could say. The comforter was a sea green, and the pillows were white. Angel, with her big blonde curls was propped against the over-stuffed pillows; Total stretched beside her, snoring and twitching in his sleep.

"Hey Max," Angel murmured, her eyes half closed. "I like this place." I smiled.

"I'll wake you up at dinner, alright?" She nodded and turned her head so her nose was buried in Total's soft fur.

I left her there, letting the door shut with a quiet click. I moved to the next door, where Gazzy had hidden.

When I opened it, everything was green and yellow…..and I couldn't help but think of Spongebob for a reason. Gazzy was in his room, his eyes glued to the chemistry set on a desk across from the small bed. His face beamed as he looked up at me, and he grinned his toothy smile.

"Max, I think I've died and gone to heaven." I laughed with him, and nodded.

"Be ready for dinner, its at-

"6:30. I know Max, Kailyn was here." A surge of anger burned at the pit of my stomach. Why was she so keen to have us all comfortable here? We're not staying more than one night, we need to complete this mission so we can get back home, with Dr. Martinez and Ella.

I left Gazzy to his chemicals and turned to the next door. Nudge…

Nudge's room was filled with pink and clothing, and it wreaked of strong perfume. Nudge was lost in her closet, and the happiness in her voice made me smile, but it also made me angry again. I left her to whatever she was doing, and proceeded to the next room.

I knocked and opened the door, only to be engulfed by black walls. Fang instantly came into my head, and before long, I could see his silhouette in at the window. He was facing me, looking at me strangely.

"Hey," He said.

"Hey," I replied. Should I tell him? Tell him we should leave right away?

"Everyone's settled in…including you." His eyes stayed on me, and I walked into his room, leaving the door open. Like my room, this room had a vanity, but this one didn't have the perfumes and make-up. This one only had a music box. "It doesn't play anything." I turned to look at him.

"That's boring," I smiled. He nodded.

"I…um," He seemed lost for words, and his eyes went to his feet. I wanted to know what he wanted to say. "I like…I like it here."

My heart stopped, dropped, and rolled around my feet. How? How could he like it here?

"I hate to burst your bubble," I answered, feeling the frown in my voice. "But we're not staying here. Not at all. It's a hell house to me." I closed the coffin-looking music box loudly, and turned to face Fang. He was pale as usual, his long black hair needing a trimming.

"Why? Why don't you like it here?" He queried.

"Because…because," I was failing. He would win whatever argument we were about to have, but maybe I could bite back hard. Leave a mark. "Because I don't like anything about this house. I don't trust Kailyn. I want to know who the men were downstairs. My wound just healed in like, a ten minute time-frame, which is remarkable even for us. You know it, too. All the flock does." My voice was raising.

"Really? Really, Max? Have you looked around? Are you completely blind? This could be a home for a while? Sure, you want to go back to your mom, but what about the rest of us? We don't want to live in a home where your parent loves you but we know ours are out there not caring." His voice was louder, but it didn't crack.

"It's not like that, Fang. I know it's not. Mom and Ella love the rest of the flock, including you." I protested, standing straight.

"That's not the point!" His voice was dark, and his eyes held something I've never seen in them before. "You have a blood mom and sister there! We don't have anything! You get the happy ending, we get to sit and watch it happen!"

"You're wrong, Fang. I know the Flock doesn't think that."

"Oh, so you share mind reading abilities now? Can you read my mind? Guess what its saying?" I was silent. I didn't like how he was acting. I headed towards the door.

"What is it saying, Fang?" I didn't look at him.

"Fuck you."


	6. 5

*Author's Note:

Hey All =^.^= Axla here to say Heya and I just read Max. Obviously, I started this book before reading Max, so I forgot a few details and have to add some in this chapter via- Max and Fang's relationship, new powers, etc. etc. So if you have not read Max, I suggest you do so before carrying on with the story. Otherwise...heheh, spoiler alert. I've been having computer troubles, and won't have MY laptop for a while yet. 'Til then, I will use my sister's computer. Thanks for understanding. Ax.

5

I left Fang's room slowly, my mouth gaping open so long I could've caught flies.

This wasn't my wingman, my best friend and my mother effing boyfriend. He usually always agreed with me...why the sudden change in character?

I closed my mouth quickly and looked to the last door. No light escaped from underneath, but then again, it's inhabitant was blind. He didn't need lights to see in the dark either. I walked slowly to the door, then knocked.

No answer.

I cracked open the door and flicked on the light. The room was plain....a white bed, white carpet, there was many trunks and boxes, but no bird freak named Iggy. He must be somewhere.

"Iggy?" I asked. Nothing. "He must be downstairs." The digital clock flashed 6:20 at me, and I decided that I'd see if I could help...get my mind off Fang for a while.

I slipped down the stairs to hear laughing, and I walked through the rooms -not taking in what was around me, since I almost fell over a coffee table- and peered through the arch that led to the kitchen. Inside Kailyn was in front of a stove, placed right into the marble counters. Iggy was next to her, laughing. Kailyn was laughing too, batting at him with a small hand.

"Stop it," She giggled. "Haven't you ever heard of cooking like a chef? I'm trying to look like I know what I'm doing!"

"Ohh, so you don't know how to cook..." Iggy grinned and grabbed the wooden spoon from her hand.

"I do, but I usually have chef around to fix supper." She smiled. "Plus, I usually like venison as to...oh, pasta." She referred to the large pot that could be heard bubbling. I wanted to puke at their flirting and the fact that she just said she liked hunted animals.

I'm no vegetarian, but I do like farmed foods. When you've lived off roasted rats, mice, and anything else you can find, you get kinda sick of that.

I noticed now that, with they're backs turned to me, they were very close to each other. Iggy's stomach was brushing up against Kailyn's side. I liked that Iggy was happy, but I didn't like Kailyn. I didn't like seeing it at all.  
I coughed and Iggy looked up and over to see me. His smile was fading, and he jumped about two feet back from Kailyn. Kailyn kept her back to me.

"Hello, Max," She said calmly, the smile still in her voice. "Did the clothes fit you well? I am about a size larger than you, so I wasn't sure if they'd fit."

I couldn't believe her. She was so calm...so unaware of what was going on in my head.

"Uh, yes, the clothes fit well..." They were big, granted, but they were ok with me.

"Good, good." Kailyn turned away from the stove and looked at me, wooden spoon dripping steamy water onto the tile floor at her hip. "I hope you like pasta, because that's what we're having. How much do you guys eat? Iggy told me about the Flock's wicked appetite, but I wanted to check with you...I want everyone to sleep with full stomachs tonight." Her smile was breath-taking, almost to where I was slightly sad that Iggy couldn't see it. But then I brought the me-Max back into my head and nodded.

"Yeah, the flock eats a lot of food." I couldn't help but smile at Kailyn's light face. She was so go-lucky happy that you wanted to glue wings onto her back and call her a pixie. But I hear pixies are evil. Oh well, suits her.

"Cool..." Kaylin turned back to the stove, dumping in four or five bags of uniquely shaped noodles into the large pot of bubbling water. Iggy was watching me, probably feeling my hatred rolling off me in waves. I was mad, and I needed to punch something. I wanted to punch Kailyn. She was still creeping me out...the fact that her tail kept tapping Iggy's knee. They made me sick. Married after first meet. I wanted to puke up whatever I had in my stomach, which wasn't much.

I turned and looked around, needing to get away from Iggy's sightless stare. A very large, cherry wood dining table was there. The table was remarkable. Intricate winding wooden designs were carved into the table's four legs. It's top was covered with eight sets of china, each with a folded cloth napkin in the middle of the bowl-which was on top of the desert plate which was on top of a bigger plate which was on top of the biggest plate-. It was remarkable. In the middle of the table was a large three-wicked candle, burning hazily. The candle's holder was made of a silvery material, and was carved to be the shape of a puma-looking cats, sitting or pouncing or preparing to leap for a hunt. It was remarkable...and I realized as I grew closer that jewels had been set in as the eyes. Above the table was a large, crystal chandelier, that shone light dancing across every wall.

I was gaping at a table. How could such a simple thing be so beautiful?

I didn't know how long I was standing there, ogling the table, but I realized soon that the flock had been called, and they were making their way in and taking their seats. Gazzy and Angel grabbed a seat on one-side, Nudge following Angel on the other side. Total grabbed one of the end seats, over-looking all of the table.

"Now this," He barked. "Is dining! If only my dearest, sweetest Akila were here to accompany my joy..." I tuned out the rest of what Total said about his Canine lover. Fang walked next to me and pulled out a chair.

You may think he was pulling it out for me, which is what I thought, the argument earlier forgotten. Well, sorry to burst your little heavenly-this-book-is-so-predictable-bubble, but he sat in it himself. He slumped down, and looked at the silverware.

"This..." He paused. "Will be an issue." He was right. As I took my seat, I realized that if Kaylin expected us to be the urbane little children who knew how to eat with three forks, then she best give us bibs and goggles.

Nudge laughed though, because Kailyn walked in with a huge -and I mean _huge_- glass bowl of noodles in one hand, and in another was another large glass bowl of spaghetti. Iggy had a few covered pots, and each brought a new smell. The two sat them on the table and uncovered them, and then took their own seats. Iggy on the other side of Fang, and Kailyn on the other end seat, across from Total.

We weren't sure what to do...because we didn't want to take advantage of Kailyn, which is saying something, because usually, we don't give a damn.

But with Kailyn...it was like we wanted to make her happy.

"Well go ahead and serve yourselves," Kailyn giggled after everyone exchanged glances. She already had grabbed a few spoonfuls of pasta and sauce, and had asked for the rolls.

We ate mercilessly and like wolves. There was really no conversations, just grunts and stares and laughs.

After the Flock's seemingly fifth helping, Angel looked at the candle holder, her eyes narrowing.

"Kailyn, why do you have so many things about cats?" It was a stupid question, but it made Kailyn go slightly serious from her contagious smiles.

"I am a cat...well, I am 27% feline." She smiled. "You, only have...how much avian genes in you? Percentage wise?"

"2%." Fang muttered, crossing his arms.

"I'm surprised that that is all there is. But the Avian genes are harder to work with on humans...Fragile and delicate to work on." She rested her chin on folded hands. "The rest is human? the other 98%?"

"Mhm," I mumbled, looking at Kailyn. How did she know so much? Was she a whitecoat? Did she work at the school?

"How do you know so much?" Angel inquired, glancing my way. My little mind-reader. It took a moment before Kailyn answered,

"The facilities you were raised at, or 'the school', was my home for a very long time. I am 27% cat, remember, so I age much like those of a feline race. I could look 27 and only be three."

"I'm confused," I said. "How can you be three but look 27? It doesn't match up." I huffed, Kailyn's feline eyes stared at me, and they caused a shiver up my spine.

"Cats have nine lives. To meet the human age of one year, I would be nine in my soul and in my intelligence and behavior. To say I was to meet the human age of three, I would look and act like a 27 year old."

"I still don't understand.." I muttered. "How old are you in human years right now?"

"Compared to my intelligence and experience," she paused, calculating. "I'd be 126."

Wow. Now...because of the fact that she looked no older than 19, this surprised me.

"Meaning in cat years, I am over nine-hundred years. I am only 52% human, which is why I stopped aging when I reached the human age of 20."

My mind was so jumbled, I couldn't process it all. I felt about to fall over. Luckily, someone else found their tongue.

"What is the other....um, 29% of you?" Angel asked, though I knew she already had a feeling what it was. Kailyn was quiet. She stared at Angel, obviously knowing that she could read her mind. After a moment, Angel's eyes widened, and she scooted slightly away from Kailyn. "I...don't understand...how could it be...that's beyond...how?" The flock felt very excluded, well, at least I did.

Kailyn sighed. "I am 126 years old. I am part of an unknown species that can heal wounds remarkably fast. Has anyone seen X-men Origins?" *Spoiler for if you haven't seen it yet -Ax*

We nodded our heads. It was one of the movies we could relate, and Wolverine was the Gasman's favorite man. I liked fangirling Hugh Jackman.

"Remember how they made him invincable? That's how I am...but I'm slightly different. I can make people invincable by touching them, or when I'm around them, but only then. I am one-of-a-kind, and I was expected to defeat your friend Omega."

Omega....I remembered that boy. He could beat me at a few things, but I still could kill better. I wondered what happened to Omega.

"Did you defeat him?" I pondered.

"Yes. He killed someone dear to me. So in return, I killed him."

Our jaws dropped. Yeah, I tried to kill him. I had almost succeeded if Ari hadn't died....or expired. My throat closed, then I blinked and looked at Kailyn. "How long ago was this?" I saw Kailyn gripping a knife. Her knuckles were white, and her hand quivered. Her pupils were growing wide, until it looked like her eyes were a wet black.

"It was about a year ago...maybe longer."

"But you did kill Omega?"

"I watched his blood stain my ground. The life drain from his eyes. Yes. I saw that filthy creature die!" Her canines had gone extremely pointed, and their was a nasty sound of crunching metal. She, with some effort, released the knife and let it drop on the table. The twisted piece was beyond recognition. I stared at Kailyn, watching her. My senses were a live wire now. She was powerful...and the whole flock knew it. "I'm sorry.." Her voice was shaking, and her pupils began to slim down to slits. "I strongly despise those who wish to take things from me." Her voice was dark, but filled with an exhaustion.

"It's alright, Kailyn." Angel patted Kailyn's hand, then finished eating her pasta. We all went back to our pasta, finishing in silence.


	7. 6

6

"Listen Max, I don't know if we should stay here." We were all in my room. Nudge, Gazzy, Angel, and me on the bed, while Fang and Iggy stood and watched me comb through Angel's blonde curls. Kailyn had disappeared after cleaning the dishes, and she still looked shaken and tired. Iggy had gone silent, and Angel was acting nervous. She saw something in Kailyn's mind that she didn't want to share with us, no matter how much we begged. Our endeavors weren't convincing to the little six or seven year old.

"Oh really? Good, because we're not." I snorted. Fang had been quiet until the door had been shut, then he burst into an angry tirade about how he was wrong. That he was sorry for acting the way he did. Gazzy backed up, saying he thought the same...until he had seen Kailyn's reaction. Angel defended her, but it didn't work since we never saw what Angel had. Angel was frowning at me in the mirror, pouting slightly. "What, Angel?"

"Kailyn lost everything when Omega attacked here. She....she lost family and friends."

"It's kind of hard to understand when you won't tell us what you saw." Gazzy muttered, playing with an old Transformer toy he found in his room. Nudge sighed.

"Maybe we should ask her about it...Omega...he was an issue with us, too." Nudge was lying on her back, long tan legs hanging over the edge of my bed.

"Maybe we should leave her alone and get the hell out of here." I retorted, grunting as Angel glared on.

"I think we should tell her we are leaving, and then take flight in the morning. We need to get to Seattle, need to find the leader of the Mutant Army." Fang said. Everyone except Angel and Iggy agreed. Angel sniffed her disgust at out choice, and Iggy stayed quiet, arms crossed over his chest. There was hurt in his eyes, and I didn't quite understand why.

"I think that would be best." I agreed, setting down the hair brush.

We were silent for a few moments, and then, it seemed it had reached Iggy's boiling point.

"I don't think I'm going to leave here." He spoke with defiance. "I feel welcome here....something wants me to stay."

I gaped at him, and I think he could tell I was. Fang was watching Iggy intently.

"Why do you say that?" Fang responded, before I could retort hotly.

"I told you. Something tells me we...or I should stay here."

"I know what you mean." Angel said. "I hear other minds here. They are all nice...talking about how warm the summers are and how beautiful the winters are. They were talking about other mutants, and I think that Kailyn knows where the person we're looking for is." She paused. "The thoughts are coming from the walls. It's....scary."

Gazzy stared at his sister in awe. "Ghosts? Seriously!? Dude, thats Effing awesome!"

"No, it's not," I said. "It's creepy. We need to get out of here."

"Kailyn knows who we're looking for." Angel argued.

"We're leaving. We'll find him ourself."

"You'll never find her." Angel glared at me. We went silent.

"Her?" Fang muttered.

"Her. The leader to this army is a woman." Angel growled. Total whined under the bed.

"Kailyn is the leader of the Mutant Army." Iggy said, looking to me.


	8. 7

7

Kailyn was the leader...she was the one we needed to kill. I lay in my warm, seemingly welcome bed. This room probably knew that I needed to kill it's keeper. Something about it seemed to want me to shake my head and let it go; like it was hypnotizing me.  
After Iggy declared the truth, he stormed out of my room without another word. I had a feeling he was growing onto Kailyn, though I didn't quite understand. She was nice and attractive and all, but she was a ruthless killer. She was able to kill someone believed to be better than me.  
And I was the one chosen to save the world.  
My eyes were burning in their sockets, and I felt like I needed to puke. I pressed my palms into my eyes and groaned. Why do things have to be so complicated?  
I tossed the covers off me and slipped on my shoes. Flying would help me, calm me down a bit. As I opened the door, it was silent. Flickers of red and orange danced on the walls from downstairs, showing that someone was still awake. I tip-toed down the stairs, then stopped at the second to last steps. There were hushed voices, urgent and almost anxious.  
One was Kailyn, the other, was a male voice.  
"Who are they?" The voice said.  
"They are Maximum Ride and her Flock. They don't all have the last name of Ride. There are six, not including Maximum Ride." Kailyn's voice sounded more calm, like she knew what she was doing and saying. "Fang; he's the strongest, and can become one with objects...turning invisible. The Gasman; he can imitate sounds and voices, he's younger. His weakness would be his sister, Angel. Angel is the most powerful, I must say. Mostly in the mental areas. Her powers to Manipulate are amazing...a good weapon to be used. But she can read minds, and thats not something to be pushed aside easily. Nudge; She has the power to communicate with electronics. Finding information out of computers, seeing who uses them, etcetera. Total; the dog with makeshift wings. He can leap to miraculous heights, he can also talk. Fancies a Malamute named Akila. She could be found and used..." She stopped. A long pause that made my head stop spinning. She was missing two people in her descriptions: Me. Iggy.  
Was she going to protect Iggy? What about me?  
"There is one of the weakest...his name is Iggy. He's blind. After being scheduled for vision enhancement, after given the ability to see in the dark, our surgeons performed the procedure incorrectly; thus letting him lose his eyesight completely...until recently. He still has night vision, and he can see strong colors, but otherwise, he must feel and hear his way." She stopped, and sighed. This sigh sounded hurt, like she was surrendering.  
"Interesting." The male voice was obviously young, and it made me want to look in the room, but I couldn't. I'd rather stay and be hidden than be caught eavesdropping. "What about Maximum? She has strength, we know that. We also know she can fly at amazing speeds."  
"Personally, I don't know." Kailyn answered after a moment.  
"What are you going to do about them? They must be working for Itex's handy-man, Jeb...wait, don't we know some of them?" A shiver ran up my spine. _Don't we know some of them?_ It rang in my head a million times before Kailyn responded.  
"Yes, Scribe. We do. I was being tested the same time as when they came in. I knew most of their parents...except for the dog. His breed was still just in the blue prints when I was there." Kailyn seemed sad, and this 'Scribe' still seemed eager and anxious.  
"Jeb was Max's Father, and he assigned Max to your unit."  
"I was put into testing before I could begin any studies on her. She was sent along with Dr. Hall instead. Fang was sent there, as well."  
"I find it a pity. You've always brought up the best people."  
There was a moment of silence, and my eyes were wide with shock. I didn't want to keep listening, but I couldn't get myself to move. I wanted to hear more...  
"Scribe....If I hadn't been put into testing, and I did study the two, Jeb wouldn't have escaped with the Flock. Or would the Flock be together, since Fang and Max were the only ones assigned to my unit. It was fate working with us."  
"You surprise me, Kay. You went through more shit than any of us, even the ones that died, and you still find a way to keep positive. How do you...do that?" I waited, there was another long pause.  
"The fact that we're bringing down the bastards who killed Crysan and Emelie makes me reassure that when it's all over, they have earned their own right to be Angels."  
"They aren't in Hell, Kailyn....they were innocent."  
"You don't know that! Until I kill the bastard who did all this to us, I'm not going to believe that they are at peace! I can't sleep anymore, I can't even think without wondering if Bloodshed is the only way!" There was a growl and the sound of shattering glass. "And everytime, there is only one answer."  
There was another long pause, and this time, it lasted longer. It was bitter and chilling, and I found myself able to stand up, only to hear the man's words.  
"And what is that answer, Kailyn?" Another pause as I turned to go up the stairs.  
"Yes. Until their blood runs through my fingers, they won't rest."


	9. 8

8

I would have normally ran straight into Fang's arms on an average day, but the fact that I was starting to get frightened by Kailyn prevented me from doing so. I ran into my dark room silently, or hoping it was silent. Once the door clicked shut I turned on one of the bedside lamps. A pale light bled across the walls, and the script above the window. _Emelie._

Who the hell was Emelie? Why did Kailyn so passionately want to avenge her? I looked to my bed, then froze.

On the bed once again, was the cat.

Her ginger fur was fluffed out, and this time, she was standing. She had short legs, I noticed, but they were stocky. She was an overall muscular cat. Her large green eyes stared deep into mine, and I couldn't look away. This made beads of sweat form on the back of my neck and my palms grew damp. I was seeing this cat out of the mirror...this was real.

"What are you?" I whispered. The cat's ear flew back and it's eyes narrowed. It didn't understand. How I knew that, I don't know. It walked in a tight circle and flicked the tip of its tail, showing it was real, and it was a cat. "Who are you?"

At this the cat's fur glistened, and with a bright flash, the ginger cat was gone. I was left with my question. I looked in the mirror to see the faint outline of a cat on my white comforter, but it disappeared within seconds.

Now this, this was scaring me.

I looked at the music box on the vanity, and decided I should open it. I walked over to it and was about to touch it, when the door opened.

Fang was in the doorway, wearing only a pair of black shorts.

"Learn to knock." I muttered, though my voice shook and broke on the last word.

"Learn to talk to me." He replied. He closed the door behind him, gently, and walked over.

"I don't understand." I didn't. What did he mean? Learn to talk to him? What wasn't I telling him? I just wasn't telling him about the strange cat...or what I'd heard downstairs...or that I was scared shitless of Kailyn.....oh, maybe I do get what he means.

"You've been boxed in this room ever since we got here...which was about seven hours ago." I looked to the clock. 2 am. Guess time really did fly. "That is a record for you, nowadays."

"There's nothing to talk about. I just...I can't sleep." I didn't look at him, I wanted to open the music box. I wanted to open it by myself.

_Don't open the music box. It'll kill you. No, it will kill him._

Voice? No. Voice was like, a mix between man and woman voice, and it doesn't like to change its own mind. This voice was female, like a young girl's telling me about her dolls...except these dolls were deadly.

"Well lay down. Want me to stay here until you do sleep?" Fang put his calloused hand in mine. His hand was warm, and I wanted to curl up into his chest, and never, ever come out. Everything was happening at once and it was all so confusing.

"Will you?" I whispered.

"Yes," he answered, kissing my forehead. "I wanted to talk to you."

HA! Knew it. He was such a bluffer. Blame it on me...that should have gotten his butt chewed.

"Okay..." We walked to the bed. I got underneath the blankets, and Fang laid on top of the blankets next to me. The light went out. My eyelids felt heavy already. "Talk."

"Fine." I could hear the smile in his voice. "There's a voice...that's been talking to me in my head. Ever since I opened up that music box for the first time...it's like I was, um, possessed."

"Possessed?"

"Yea."

We were silent.

"Is it like, telling you fortune cookie crap or..?"

"No, no, no. It's not like the Voice you have. It's an older boy's voice, and I can interact with him. I was talking to him almost all day...I...He...he told me things." Fang laughed. "I know, I sound crazy, don't I?"

"On an average day, yes, you do. But because I have had a voice inside my head and have wings, I find it pretty interesting." We chuckled. "What did..uh,...He tell you?"

"He told me everything about Kailyn...and about Itex...and about why we were sent to destroy them."

"Are you going to tell me about those things?" I asked, feeling sleep heavy in my voice.

"No. Kailyn is going to introduce us to her second-in-command tomorrow, there she is going to ask us to fight with her. Fight against Itex. She'll tell us then."

"Why are you telling me about it now then...?" I was falling asleep, my mind was growing fuzzy. I just remember Fang's last whispering words as I drifted into a deep, sheltered sleep.

"The voice talking to me was called Crysan...he's my Father..."


End file.
